Dental question.

April 23rd, 2013, 12:35 AM

I been preparing myself to get ready for the gaurd. Just my issue of my dental may need work. I dont have dental care nor could I afford to go see a dentist. My gums are loose onmy lower gumline of my teeth and they do bleed if I brush them, Would I be able to still join the National Gaurd and also i have wisdom teeth maybe crowding my teeth...would I be alright to go in?

I been preparing myself to get ready for the gaurd. Just my issue of my dental may need work. I dont have dental care nor could I afford to go see a dentist. My gums are loose onmy lower gumline of my teeth and they do bleed if I brush them, Would I be able to still join the National Gaurd and also i have wisdom teeth maybe crowding my teeth...would I be alright to go in?

Wow. If or when you enlist you better get ready.

Oh you'll get dental work done once you ship off.

They're going to pull ALL of your wisdom teeth. You're going to miss a chunk of BCT training time because you're going to spend it healing and going back and forth for dental visits. They're going to give you medication and oral solution for the bleeding gums. You'll also be confined to the barracks as well as you'll have to eat separately from the rest of the company because its going to take you longer to eat. But whatever you do, unless you have completely rotten teeth, DON'T let them put fillings in your mouth. 99% of the time they will fall out. I've seen some guys lose a filling by the time they made it back to the battalion. If you only have a couple spots just tell them you're applying for Tri-Care dental coverage after you become MOS'qd.

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I let the Army docs at Huachuca put in a filling right before I left BOLC. By the time I went to my civilian dentist for a follow-up, approx 8 weeks later, the filling had cracked right down the center and had to be removed. Since it was so flipping big, they went ahead and did a crown on that tooth. Yea me.

In short, let the pull whatever, but hold off on fillings and the like until you get Tri-Care back home.

But whatever you do, unless you have completely rotten teeth, DON'T let them put fillings in your mouth. 99% of the time they will fall out. I've seen some guys lose a filling by the time they made it back to the battalion.

Seconded. We had a couple guys go in for fillings during our final FTX at AIT (Ft. Sill). One dude's had already fallen out just on the ride back to the field.

They're going to pull ALL of your wisdom teeth. You're going to miss a chunk of BCT training time because you're going to spend it healing and going back and forth for dental visits. They're going to give you medication and oral solution for the bleeding gums. You'll also be confined to the barracks as well as you'll have to eat separately from the rest of the company because its going to take you longer to eat. But whatever you do, unless you have completely rotten teeth, DON'T let them put fillings in your mouth. 99% of the time they will fall out. I've seen some guys lose a filling by the time they made it back to the battalion. If you only have a couple spots just tell them you're applying for Tri-Care dental coverage after you become MOS'qd.

Just hopfully they wont have to do filling when i am in... I am mainly worried about MEPS before i go in and plus that would suck that i miss a chunk of my basic training if I am going to be recovering in the barracks for the whole time. This maybe also out of subject too but I am watching on what I am eating, I been also drinking straight water for three weeks..I've lost a few pounds. I am 5'8ht at 210..I am trying to get my body fat to the right percentage or try to lose the weight at 181 (which is really hard for me to diet but I am slowly progressing)

Just hopfully they wont have to do filling when i am in... I am mainly worried about MEPS before i go in and plus that would suck that i miss a chunk of my basic training if I am going to be recovering in the barracks for the whole time. This maybe also out of subject too but I am watching on what I am eating, I been also drinking straight water for three weeks..I've lost a few pounds. I am 5'8ht at 210..I am trying to get my body fat to the right percentage or try to lose the weight at 181 (which is really hard for me to diet but I am slowly progressing)

MEPS could care less about your teeth. As long as you can walk like a duck you'll be fine. As long as your wasteline is 38 inches and under and you have at least a 16 inch neck you'll be fine. I've seen guys miss tons of training time and still graduate. You have to DIE or kill somebody not to graduate OSUT at Benning. Even if you have an injury that will put you on con leave for two or three months you can come back and finish your time give or take a couple weeks, particularly, if you've made it past the BCT portion of OSUT, which is week 8. Any serious injuries that occur before the week 7 to week 8 period may cause you to have to restart back to week 2 or week 3. Once you leave OSUT at Benning you'll be around 175 to 180--trust me.

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MEPS could care less about your teeth. As long as you can walk like a duck you'll be fine. As long as your wasteline is 38 inches and under and you have at least a 16 inch neck you'll be fine. I've seen guys miss tons of training time and still graduate. You have to DIE or kill somebody not to graduate OSUT at Benning. Even if you have an injury that will put you on con leave for two or three months you can come back and finish your time give or take a couple weeks, particularly, if you've made it past the BCT portion of OSUT, which is week 8. Any serious injuries that occur before the week 7 to week 8 period may cause you to have to restart back to week 2 or week 3. Once you leave OSUT at Benning you'll be around 175 to 180--trust me.

That makes me feel for comfortable for MEPS when i go in. My teeth dont hurt or anything just concerns me.. thanks VICEROY06

Not totally true. They do the same inspection as others do for Mobilizations. If they feel that you need dental work done, they will schedule it for you while in Basic.

My advice is to take it. Dental is costly and if you can get it fixed for free, do it. The Army doesn't use Army Dentists unless it's petty things and they are excellent (at least the ones I had). Just be prepared for them to see your gums bleed because they will poke it.

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I had a tooth taken out at Benning and it was painless. 24hr profile. Bled for the rest of the day. That's it. When I got the other 3 taken out, it was the same thing. Except it cost me ~$180 a tooth, which hurt the most.

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Not totally true. They do the same inspection as others do for Mobilizations. If they feel that you need dental work done, they will schedule it for you while in Basic.

My advice is to take it. Dental is costly and if you can get it fixed for free, do it. The Army doesn't use Army Dentists unless it's petty things and they are excellent (at least the ones I had). Just be prepared for them to see your gums bleed because they will poke it.

Ill just be sure to see how things will take place when i arrive at MEPs. I will be taking my practice ASVAB at the ARMORY NG in Winston-Salem. Wish me luck!